London Mining NetworkOk Tedi | London Mining Network

BHP’s toxic legacy continues at Ok Tedi

Richard — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:24:55 +0000

When BHP Billiton pulled out of the Ok Tedi mine in Papua New Guinea, it was because it recognised that the mine should never have been constructed in the way it was – with riverine talings disposal – in the first place.

But the mine produced such a large proportion of the PNG Government’s income that it was not shut down.

Now OK Tedi Mining Ltd has, once again, had to pay compensation for continuing to pollute the environment at its operations in Papua New Guinea.

Grotesquely, the company has also been given an award by the government for “its contribution to PNG’s development and its compliance with the country’s laws”, as well as being a “Good Corporate Citizen”!

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11390.

Papua New Guinea politicians demand Ok Tedi mine close in 2013

Richard — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:48:53 +0000

“BHP and government have made it a rubbish dump”

As the government of Bougainville and Rio Tinto call for a possible re-opening of the Panguna mine, political leaders in Papua New Guinea are, in stark contrast, now demanding closure of the Ok Tedi mine within two years. This is the one project in the region bearing closest historical similarity to Panguna. In a statement last week, the PNG political leaders declared that: “We can no longer tolerate this blatant disregard for our river systems, land and the environment that our people live off … The government has compromised our environmental laws by listening [to] utter rubbish from BHP. … Western Province is not a dumping ground but BHP and the national government have made it as a rubbish dump. This is an insult to our people and we cannot allow it to continue”.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=10932.

BHP Billiton: other sides to the story

Richard — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:42:14 +0000

BHP Billiton presnted its annual report to shareholders at its London AGM on 21 October. At a meeting the evening before, London Mining Network presented BHP Billiton 2009-10 – other sides to the story: case studies questioning the company’s record on human rights, transparency and ecological justice.

To read the case studies, click on the link below.

BHP Billiton 2009-10: other sides to the story

BHP Billiton: undermining the future

Richard — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:34:21 +0000

Alternative Report on world’s biggest mining company

BHP Billiton, the world’s largest diversified resources company – producing oil as well as coal, copper, diamonds, iron ore, manganese, nickel, uranium and a number of other minerals – boasts of a strong reputation for corporate responsibility. Communities affected by its operations may well believe that such a reputation is unjustified. But at its London AGM on 29 October, the company failed to engage seriously with its critics, simply assuring them that their concerns would be investigated – even though the company has already been made aware of them time and time again.

The company’s annual report, available on its corporate website, paints a very positive picture of the company’s operations. Many of the company’s critics have produced an alternative report, putting the other side of the picture. Read the alternative report at http://www.piplinks.org/system/files/BHP+Billiton+Alternative+Report.pdf.